CHAPTER ELEVEN
WARNINGS AND EXHORTATIONS TO OBEDIENCE
Moses in exhortation urges Israelites to recognise their close dependence on God, for the more this is realised the greater will be the service of obedience rendered to Him. He explains that true strength and success are absolutely dependent upon this. A key verse of the chapter is v. 27: "a blessing, if ye obey the commandments of Yahweh your God". The climax of the chapter is reached in v. 32: "And ye shall observe to do all the statutes and judgments which I set before you this day". In his exhortation, Moses gives reasons why Israel should obey (vv. 2-9). Obedience is absolutely essential, for the Land they are to occupy is entirely different to the other lands with which they were generally familiar. In Egypt, there was no need of rain, for the flooding of the Nile provided irrigation for crops; and in the wilderness there was lack of both rain and water. On the other hand, the Land they are about to enter is plentifully supplied with the rain of heaven (vv. 10-12). This rain is assured through the blessing of Yahweh if Israel fulfil their responsibilities according to the Law (vv. 13-17). Therefore there is a need for them to revere and teach God's word (vv. 18-21), which is the key to success (vv. 22-25). As a reminder of this, commanded Moses, once Israel enters the Land, the tribes must
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VERSE 1
"Therefore thou shalt love Yahweh thy God, and keep His charge, and His statutes, and His judgments, and His commandments always" — The word "therefore" links this verse with the previous chapter; and a better division would result if the new chapter commenced at v. 2. The verse before us sums up the conclusion reached from the previous chapter. Love and obedience go hand in hand. Where love exists obedience will be manifested. "This is love", wrote John, "that we walk after his commandments" (2 John 6). If a person loves sufficiently, he will sacrifice his own will in order to please the object of his love. Love of God demands that. True worship is a blend of love and fear see Deut. 10:20 and our comments on Deut. 6:5.
Why Israel Should Obey — vv. 2-9
Moses reminds the people that they are fully conversant with Yahweh's care and concern for them. They have felt His disciplinary hand, and have witnessed His miracles performed in Egypt and elsewhere on their behalf. Their personal knowledge of these things should create the incentive to obey. Obedience will result in further blessing once they enter the land.
VERSE 2
"And know ye this day: for I speak not with your children that have not known, and which have not seen the chastisement of Yahweh your God" — Moses seems to have addressed himself particularly to the elders who had witnessed Yahweh's wonderful works (see v. 7). The word "known" can be used in the sense of acknowledged. The elders to whom he spoke, were men of experience, who had witnessed the hand of God. They were therefore qualified to pass on to their children, the results of their knowledge. They had seen the "chastisement of Yahweh". The word signifies "discipline". Rotherham renders it as "instruction". The idea of the word is to teach through discipline. In Eph. 6:4 Paul advocates that fathers should bring up their children "in the nurture and admonition of the Lord".
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The word "nurture" is from a Greek word paideia signifying both the "training and instruction of a child by discipline". The Revised Version renders it as chastening the verb expressing the idea of instruction supplemented with physical correction. Hence both the Old and New Testaments teach the value of impressing instruction with such a form of correction. Certainly Israel had experienced such disciplinary care through the wilderness, as Yahweh humbled them through trials. It was not pleasant for the people to experience the process of instruction described in Deut. 8:2-3, but it had moulded them into a more courageous, determined and faithful people ready to enter the land.
"His greatness" — The Israelites had not only experienced the discipline of Yahweh, but had personal evidence of His greatness. The Hebrew word isgodelfrom gadal "to twist", hence implying "strength", or "magnitude". A rope is made larger and stronger by the twisting together of many strands, and Yahweh's greatness was manifested by many acts of goodness. His strength, or greatness, enabled Him to redeem the people (see Deut. 9:26 and cp. with 3:24; 5:24; 32:3). See also the thrilling ascription of praise by David in 1 Chron. 29:11. The word "greatness" in that place is from the Hebrew gedullah, which is from a common root.
"His mighty hand" — The hand is the symbol of action. Here it expressed Yahweh's ability to perform. The Israelites had seen that manifested in the miracles that He had performed on their behalf, including the provision of manna from day to day.
"And His stretched out arm" — The
arm is used figuratively for the ability to extend the influence of labour and activity. The Israelites had been made conscious that Yahweh's arm is "not shortened that it cannot be save" (Isa. 59:1).
VERSE 3
"And His miracles" — These had been evident from the time of their stay in Egypt, and throughout the wilderness wanderings. See Deut. 6:22; 7:19; Psa.
I
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THE CHRISTADELPHIAN EXPOSITOR 78:12-13;l05:27; 135:9; Jer. 32:20-21. etc. "And His acts, which He did in the midst of Egypt unto Pharaoh the King of Egypt, and unto all His land" — The word "acts" signifies actions, Yahweh's transactions, or activity. The history of Israel from the beginning, from the time that Moses stood before Pharaoh, until now that the people are on the eve of entering the Land of Promise, had witnessed mighty interventions of Yahweh on their behalf.
VERSE 4
"And what He did unto the army of Egypt, unto their horses, and to their chariots; how He made the water of the Red Sea to overflow them as they pursued after you, and how Yahweh hath destroyed them unto this day" — The destruction of the host of Pharaoh in the Red Sea demonstrated Yahweh's ability to save the people of Israel by the most unusual means. See Exod. 14:26-31; 15:4,9,10,19; Psa. 106:11; Heb. 11:29.
VERSE 5
"And what He did unto you in the wilderness, until ye came unto this place" —
The children of Israel were required to remember the mighty acts of Yahweh throughout their wilderness wanderings. If they pondered the care that He had manifested in providing them with manna and water, evidences of His everlasting love (Jer. 31:3), they would find strength of faith to overcome the problems that could arise as they entered the Land. See Psa. 105:35-42. Through Moses and Aaron God had shepherded them through the wilderness to the Promised Land. See Psa. 77:20; 80:1. Through the fire and cloud, He had comforted and protected them. See Psa. 78:14; 106:12. Now the time had come for them to act upon the conviction that He would continue to help them.
VERSE 6
"And what He did unto Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab the son of Reuben" — Moses moves on to show how Yahweh dealt with internal enemies. See Num. 16:1,31; 27:3; Psa. 106:17. Korah is not mentioned, perhaps out of consideration for his descendants, some of whom would have been among the audience of Moses at that time. See Num. 16:1,31; 27-3. And for Korah's children see Num. 26:11. Korah died with the Levites, not
CHAPTER ELEVEN
with Dathan and Abiram. Their revolt, being Reubenites, was political in character; his was religious.
"How the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their households, and their tents, and all the substance that was in their possession, in the midst of all Israel" — The word substance signifies "living substance", as in the margin. The RV renders it as "living thing". The reference is to the children and animals of Dathan and Abiram. They are described as being "in their possession, in the midst of all Israel", because they were associated with the tabernacle.
VERSE 7
"But your eyes have seen all the great acts of Yahweh which He did" — The Israelites had personally witnessed the mighty power of Almighty God, and therefore had a responsibility to respond to this evidence of His reality.
VERSE 8
"Therefore shall ye keep all the commandments which I command you this day" — "Therefore" links the command of this verse with the statement of the verse which precedes it, and which gives reason why Yahweh's commandments should be kept. Enlightenment brings added responsibility. See Amos 3:2; John 9:41; 12:48. What Yahweh requires of His people is epitomised in Deut. 10:12-15.
"That ye may be strong" — See the promise and exhortation of Josh. 1:6-7. The strength required to successfully complete a work of Yahweh is derivable from Him through the Word. See Psa. 138:3; Isa. 40:31; Eph. 3:16; 6:10; Phil. 4:13; Col. 1:11. Human weakness is no deterrent to the manifestation of divine strength; in fact, God's strength is "made perfect through the weakness" of the one revealing it (2 Cor. 12:8-10).
"And go in and possess the land, whither ye go to possess it" — Determination, resoluteness and courage combined with faith are the ingredients of success. See1 Sam. 4:9; 1 Cor. 16:13.
VERSE 9
"And that ye may prolong your days in the land, which Yahweh sware unto your fathers to give unto them and to their seel|» — Israel's tenancy of the land was conditional upon the good behaviour of its people. Principles laid down for this pur-
CHAPTER ELEVEN
pose, and which, in each case, is linked with long life are to "keep the commandments" (Deut. 4:40); "fear Yahweh" (6:2; Prov. 10:27); honour parents (5:16); discipline the tongue (Psa. 34:12); act with wisdom (Prov. 9:11; 3:16).
"A land that floweth with milk and honey" — See Exod. 3:8 for the first mention of this description. It denotes a Land of plenty, excellent for pasturage, and abounding in the most wholesome herbage and flowers. But "milk" and "honey" are also used as symbols for the Word: the former relating to the basic principles expressed therein; and the latter denoting the strength derived therefrom. The Land of Promise was to be peopled by those who honoured Truth, and therefore all forms of false religion and philosophy had to be rooted out.
The Land of Promise Dependent Upon the Rain (or blessing) of Heaven — vv. 10-12
The Land of Promise is quite unlike that of Egypt. In Egypt, irrigation is necessary and entirely dependent upon human manipulation; in Eretz Israel it is provided as the blessing of Yahweh. It is a Land directly under His supervision, and upon which His eyes are constantly centred.
VERSE 10
"For the land, whither thou goest in to possess it, is not as the land of Egypt, from whence ye came out" — Egypt is a very arid country on the edge of the great Sahara desert. The arable and populated area is limited to the Nile valley, and as the rainfall is only about one inch per year, it is entirely dependent for growth upon the irrigation of the flats by the water of the river. In ancient times, and before the construction of the Aswan Dam, this was annually performed by the flood waters spreading over its banks. The Land which the Israelites were about to enter is entirely dissimilar to this, and regularly receives the blessing of Yahweh in the form of rain. The fact that it is dependent upon this blessing of heaven provides a further motive for proper conduct. Rainless and arid Egypt is a fit emblem of the world of sin in distinction from the world of grace as represented by the Land of Promise made fruitful by the heaven-bestowed blessing of God. The Israelites had "come out" of Egypt, as believers today are "taken out of the Gentiles", a people for the Name.
THE CHRISTADELPHIAN EXPOSITOR
Laborious method of irrigation in Egypt.
"Where thou sowedst thy seed, and wateredst it with thy foot, as a garden of herbs" — This describes the laborious method of irrigation then commonly used in Egypt, and frequently seen even today. The land is often artificially watered by a foot pump or tread-wheel called a shadorf or by artificial channels connected with dams, and opened, turned, or closed by the feet. Sometimes an animal is used for the purpose, and will turn a wheel that activates the pump. All such methods are seen in Egypt to this day. It is a land independent of the rain of heaven (see Zech. 14:18), and therefore typical of the Gentiles who act in independence of God.
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THE CHRISTADELPHIAN EXPOSITOR VERSE 11
"But the land, whither ye go to possess it, is a land of hills and valleys, and drink-eth water of the rain of heaven" — Rain is used as a symbol of the spirit-word. The Promised Land soaked up the rain of heaven, as true Israelites should receive the Word of God. "My doctrine shall drop as the rain," declared Moses, "my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass" (Deut. 32:2).
VERSE 12
"A land which Yahweh thy God careth for" — The Hebrew signifies that He seeketh its good. The Psalmist declared: "Thou visitest the earth, and waterest it; Thou greatly enrichest it with the river of God, which is full of water: Thou pre-parest them corn, when Thou hast so provided for it. Thou waterest the ridges thereof abundantly: Thou settlest the furrows thereof: Thou makest it soft with showers: Thou blessest the springing thereof. Thou crownest the year with Thy goodness; and Thy paths drop fatness" (Psa. 65:9-11). The Psalmist pictures the manner in which Yahweh "seeketh out" what is best for the Land of His choice and favour (see also Psa. 104:10-13). The Land and its products figuratively represent Israel and the fruits of the Spirit-word. As Yahweh overlooked the Land, and provided what was best for it in view of the circumstances that He saw manifest there, so He does for His elect, carefully overshadowing their lives for their ultimate benefit. "Doth God care for oxen, or saith He it for your sakes?" enquired Paul of another Law, and he pointed out that the Law has a spiritual significance that we can apply to ourselves.
"The eyes of Yahweh thy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year" —
Even in winter, when overcast skies and bitter winds may give the impression of a forsaken land, Yahweh is there, behind the clouds, providing for the needs of His people. He is constantly with His saints in times of prosperity and of adversity.
Conditions Upon Which God's Blessing Will Be Provided — w. 13-17
Let Israel remain faithful to Yahweh, and He will abundantly bless the people with tokens of His goodness.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
VERSE 13
"And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto My commandments which I command you this day" —
To "hearken diligently" is to hearken closely and intelligently with intent to obey.
"To love Yahweh your God, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul" — Proper love will manifest itself in service or obedience. See notes on Deut. 6:5; 2 John 6. The heart was the organ of intelligence to the Hebrew. What then is heart-service? The answer is, Prayer based on the Word. See Eph. 2:18. Soul-service suggests the sacrifice of self. See Matt. 6:25; 10:39 where the word "soul" is rendered life. A person rendering service to God with all his soul, would become an acceptable "living sacrifice" unto Him (Rom. 12:1).
VERSE 14
"That I will give you the rain of your land in his due season" — Rain in season is productive of good; rain out of season can be destructive of crops. In this verse "rain" occurs three times, but is the common rendition of three different words in the Hebrew. The word matar, signifies merely to rain, and is found in the present clause, and also in w. 11,17. It relates to normal rain in general. The word Yowreh signifies the first rain, or the spring showers; whilst malqowsh, denotes the Autumn, or latter rain. Conditional upon the quality of their worship, the people of Israel could depend upon adequate rainfall at proper times.
"The first rain" — The word Yowreh is derived from a root signifying sprinkling, and so denotes the early or first rains.
"And the latter rain" —The word malqowsh denotes the Spring rain. This rain is important to swell out the grain, and provide a full harvest. The various rains of the Promised Land, come when they do their greatest good.
"That thou mayest gather in thy com, and thy wine, and thine oil" — See Hag. 1:6; Mai. 3:10-11. The first rains come about the middle of October to the end of December. These rains prepare the soil for seeding and keep it moist after it is sown. The latter rains come about March and early April when the grain is ripening, and needs the additional showers to fill it out and fully develop it for harvest. The first of the grain crops (barley) is gathered